Wheel cover system for a 3-wheeled motorcycle

ABSTRACT

A wheel suspension system for a three-wheeled motorcycle or “trike” includes parallel wheels mounted on vertically pivoting suspension arms governed by hydraulic pistons. The pistons have upper liquid reservoirs that are interconnected through a valve system, which interconnects the upper reservoirs when the trike is in motion, allowing opposing vertical wheel movements when banking through turns, and prevents liquid exchange when the trike is stopped, thereby holding the motorcycle upright, Embodiments include a manual and/or automatic valve control. A threshold switching speed for an automatic controller can be factory set and/or user adjustable. The pistons can include directly interconnected lower fluid reservoirs. A shock-absorbing reservoir can allow transient vertical movement of both wheels to absorb shocks. A cover system can emulate the appearance of saddle bags and can appear to be covering only a single wheel.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 13/723,702,which was filed on Dec. 21, 2012. Application Ser. No. 13/723,702 claimsthe benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/597,388, filed Feb.10, 2012. Both of these applications are herein incorporated byreference in their entirety for all purposes.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to motorcycles, and more particularly, to wheelcover systems for 3-wheeled motorcycles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Motorcycle riding is an activity that can be enjoyed by a wide varietyof riders having different ages and skill levels. For many, the thrilland excitement of riding a motorcycle is unparalleled by any otheractivity. And motorcycle riding can be enjoyed by riders who lack thephysical fitness and stamina required by many other forms of outdoorrecreation.

Nevertheless, motorcycle riding does require some physical ability onthe rider's part, especially when the motorcycle is standing still.While a motorcycle may be easy to balance and control while it is inmotion, it can be very difficult to manage and even dangerous whenstopped or nearly stopped. This can make it very difficult for someriders to operate a motorcycle, especially riders who are senior in age,physically impaired, short in stature, or who simply lack the requiredphysical strength to hold a heavy motorcycle upright while stopping,dismounting, and deploying the kick-stand. As a result, many physicallyimpaired riders, senior riders, women, and others must be content toride a very light bike, or not to ride at all.

One approach for riders who have difficulty managing a standardmotorcycle is to ride a three-wheeled motorcycle, sometimes referred toas a “trike,” which has been designed to stand on its own when stopped,thereby eliminating most or all difficulties associated with managing astopped 2-wheel motorcycle. In some cases, a conventional 2-wheelmotorcycle can be converted to a trike, thereby saving cost andproviding a wider selection of models available for three-wheel riding.

However, a trike that has been designed to remain upright when standingstill presents inherent problems while riding. Specifically, whenturning it is desirable for a motorcycle to “bank” into the turn, i.e.to tilt or lean inward so as to counteract the centripetal turning forceand maintain the rider's apparent center of gravity above the wheels.Banking during turns improves riding performance and safety, and is alsoone of the more enjoyable aspects of riding. However, if the twoside-by-side parallel wheels of a trike are fixed in height relative toeach other, then one of them will tend to lift off of the ground whenthe trike goes around a curve.

So as to mitigate this problem, some trikes provide a suspension thatallows the trike to tilt during a turn without lifting a wheel. Oneapproach is to mount the two parallel wheels on separate lever arms thatpivot vertically so as to allow the wheels to separately move up anddown when needed. Typically, control rods are connected to the leverarms, whereby the control rods control the vertical movements of thewheels. In some of these designs a “rocker arm” connects the two controlrods to each other, thereby requiring that the wheels always movesymmetrically in opposite directions. This approach effectively couplesthe wheel movements to each other, but is generally bulky and difficultto retro-fit to existing 2-wheel motorcycles.

Other lever arm designs use a pneumatic or hydraulic piston mounted oneach control rod to manage the vertical movements of the wheels. In someof these designs the hydraulic reservoirs of the pistons are connectedto each other, so that an upward movement of one of the wheels forcesthe other wheel downward. However, these designs do not always cope wellwhen both wheels are lifted off of the ground, for example duringservicing, since they can allow both of the parallel wheels to drop downsimultaneously to the maximum extensions of the control rods.

In other pneumatic or hydraulic designs the control rods are managed bya processor that uses sensors to determine a speed, handlebarorientation, acceleration, frame orientation, and/or other statusparameter of the vehicle, calculates an appropriate tilt angle, and thenadjusts the pneumatic or hydraulic system accordingly. However, thisapproach can be complex, costly, and somewhat unnatural, since the tiltresponds to a sensor-based calculation, rather than responding directlyto the actual forces encountered by the trike while in operation.

Of course, if the trike is to stand upright on its own, either aconventional “kick-stand” must be provided, or the tilting suspensionmust provide some mechanism to lock the wheels in place when the trikeis not in motion. In some mechanical designs, the suspension is simplylocked in place when a manual control is actuated. However, thisrequires an extra step on the part of the rider. Other designsautomatically adjust the suspension to hold the frame “vertical” whencertain conditions are sensed, such as a low speed, a straight handlebarorientation, slippage of a wheel, or a sustained frame tilt. However,this approach can require a complex control and sensing system to avoidundesirable results, such as tilting the trike at an unsafe angle whenon a hillside.

In addition to the issues described above, riding a “trike” can alsocarry with it a certain social stigma, so that a rider's enjoyment ofriding a trike may be diminished by his or her concern regarding how heor she may be perceived by nearby riders of 2-wheel motorcycles.

What is needed, therefore, is a wheel suspension system for athree-wheeled motorcycle or “trike” that will allow the trike to banknaturally when turning but will hold the frame vertical when the trikeis not in motion, is simple in design and yet responds appropriately tohills and roadway depressions, can be retrofitted to existing 2-wheelmotorcycles, and can emulate the appearance of a 2-wheel motorcycle, soas to minimize any perceived stigma of riding a trike.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A suspension system for a three-wheeled motorcycle or “trike” allows thetrike to bank naturally when turning, while automatically holding theframe upright when the trike is stationary. The design is simple andcompact, and yet it responds appropriately on hills and when crossingroadway depressions. Embodiments can be retrofit to existing 2-wheelmotorcycles, and some embodiments provide an appearance that mimics a2-wheel motorcycle, thereby minimizing any perceived stigma of riding atrike.

According to the invention, the two parallel wheels of the trike aresupported by independent, vertically pivoting lever arms, whose verticalmovements are governed by corresponding control rods. The lengths of thecontrol rods are determined by hydraulic control pistons, which controlthe vertical movements of the wheels. Fluid containing regions above thecontrol pistons are filled with a hydraulic fluid and interconnectedthrough a valve system that can be switched between an operating statethat allows hydraulic fluid to flow between the two control pistons anda stationary state in which hydraulic fluid flow is blocked. In someembodiments the valve system is electronically controlled, while inother embodiments the valve system is pneumatically controlled using aircompressed in a pneumatic reservoir.

In some embodiments, each hydraulic control piston includes hydraulicfluid located below the piston as well as above the piston. In theseembodiments, the fluid-containing regions below the control pistons aredirectly interconnected to each other, so that if both wheels are liftedoff of the ground, they will not both drop to the full range of theirtravel. This can be of benefit e.g. during servicing of the trike.

In some embodiments, a manual control is used to switch the valve systembetween its two states. In other embodiments, a simple controller and aspeed sensor are used to switch the valve system automatically betweenits two states, according to whether the trike is moving at a speedabove or below a threshold speed. Depending on the embodiment, thethreshold speed can be factory set and/or set by a rider. Inembodiments, the threshold speed is between 1 mph and 15 mph. In someembodiments the controller is microprocessor controlled, while in otherembodiments the controller is a simple sensor-driven electrical relay.And in various embodiments both automatic and manual control areprovided.

When the valve system is in the operating state, the wheels are partlyor totally free to move in symmetrically opposite vertical directionsaccording to the forces encountered during a turn, thereby providing anatural banking experience that is nearly identical to riding a 2-wheelmotorcycle. When the valve system is in the stationary state, thevertical positions of the wheels are fixed at whatever positions theyheld when the speed of the trike fell below the threshold speed.Therefore, the trike is maintained in a vertical orientation even if itis stopped on a hill. Embodiments further include a manual control thatcan be used to manually switch the valve system between its operationaland stationary states, for example to adjust the tilt of the trike whenit is stationary.

In embodiments, a shock-absorbing hydraulic fluid reservoir is also influid communication with the valve system. The shock-absorbing reservoirallows individual wheels to make transitory, independent verticalmovements, for example when passing over rocks or other debris, butpushes the wheels back to their equilibrium positions as soon as thetransitory shock has passed. In embodiments, the shock-absorbingreservoir includes a spring-driven piston that regulates the hydraulicpressure of the hydraulic fluid above the two control pistons.

In some embodiments where the parallel wheels are the rear wheels, acover is included that covers the two parallel rear wheels and providesan outward appearance of a storage compartment or “saddle bags” of astyle that is typically seen on 2-wheel motorcycles, thereby visiblyobscuring the fact that the vehicle has three wheels.

One general aspect of the present invention is a suspension system forcontrolling vertical movements of two side-by-side parallel wheels of athree-wheeled motor vehicle. The suspension system includes a pair ofsuspension arms, each suspension arm having a proximal end pivotallyattached to a frame of the vehicle, so that the suspension arm can pivotvertically about its proximal end, and each suspension arm having adistal end to which one of the parallel wheels is rotatably attached.The suspension system further includes a pair of variable length controlrod assemblies, each control rod assembly having a proximal end attachedto the frame of the vehicle and a distal end attached to a correspondingsuspension arm, so that pivoting of the suspension arm requires changesin length of the control arm assembly, a pair of hydraulic pistonmechanisms cooperative with the control arm assemblies, so that changinga control arm assembly's length requires moving a piston within thecorresponding piston mechanism, each hydraulic piston mechanism havingan upper liquid reservoir above its piston, a valve system in liquidcommunication with the upper liquid reservoirs of the piston mechanisms,the valve system having an operating state in which hydraulic fluid isallowed to flow between the upper reservoirs, the valve system having astationary state that prevents changes to the amounts of hydraulic fluidin the upper reservoirs, and a controller in controlling communicationwith the valve system, the controller being able to transition the valvesystem between the operating state and the stationary state.

In some embodiments the controller is manually operated.

In certain embodiments the controller is able to automaticallytransition the valve system to the operating state when the vehicle istraveling at a speed above a threshold speed, and automaticallytransition the valve system to the stationary state when the vehicle istraveling below the threshold speed. In some of these embodiments thethreshold speed is between one mile per hour and fifteen miles per hour.In other of these embodiments the threshold speed is pre-set. In stillother of these embodiments the threshold speed can be adjusted by anoperator. And yet other of these embodiments further include a manualcontrol configured to allow manual switching of the valve system betweenthe operating state and the stationary state.

Embodiments further include a lower liquid reservoir below each piston,the two lower reservoirs being in direct liquid communication with eachother, so that hydraulic fluid leaving one lower reservoir is forced toenter the other lower reservoir.

In various embodiments the suspension system can be retro-fit to anexisting two-wheel motorcycle. In some of these embodiments thesuspension system can be pre-assembled before attachment to the existingtwo-wheel motorcycle. And in some of these embodiments the pre-assembledsuspension system can be attached in place of a rear motorcycle wheel toa frame of the existing two-wheel motorcycle by one or more attachmentbrackets.

In certain embodiments the controller includes a microprocessor.

Some embodiments further include a hydraulic shock absorber in liquidcommunication with the valve system, the hydraulic shock absorber beingconfigured when the valve system is in the operating state to exchangehydraulic fluid with the connected upper reservoirs, whereby a liquidpressure of the upper reservoirs is increased when hydraulic fluid flowsfrom the upper reservoirs into the hydraulic shock absorber, anddecreased when hydraulic fluid flows from the hydraulic shock absorbersinto the upper reservoirs. And in some of these embodiments thehydraulic shock absorber includes a piston located between a shockabsorber liquid reservoir and a spring, so that an increase of liquid inthe shock absorber liquid reservoir moves the piston and compresses thespring.

Various embodiments further include a wheel cover system that isconfigured to partially cover the two parallel wheels and to create avisual impression that the cover is covering a single wheel instead ofcovering two parallel wheels. In some of these embodiments the wheelcover system presents an appearance of a saddlebag storage system. Otherof these embodiments further include a central feature that emulates anappearance of a wheel guard that would cover a single rear wheel of a2-wheel motorcycle.

Another general aspect of the present invention is a wheel cover systemfor a three-wheeled motor vehicle. The wheel cover system includes acover system configured to partially cover a pair of side-by-sideparallel wheels of the three-wheeled motor vehicle, and to create avisual impression that the cover is covering a single wheel instead ofcovering two parallel wheels.

In some embodiments the wheel cover system presents an appearance of asaddlebag storage system.

Other embodiments further include a central feature that emulates anappearance of a wheel guard that would cover a single rear wheel of a2-wheel motorcycle. And in some of these embodiments the central featureis a wheel cover retained from a two-wheel motorcycle after itsconversion to a three-wheeled motor vehicle.

In certain embodiments the side-by-side parallel wheels are rear wheelsof the motor vehicle.

Yet another general aspect of the present invention is a three-wheeledmotor vehicle, which includes a pair of side-by-side parallel wheels;and a wheel cover system configured to partially cover the pair ofside-by-side parallel wheels, and to create a visual impression that thecover is covering a single wheel instead of covering two parallelwheels.

In embodiments, the wheel cover system presents an appearance of asaddlebag storage system.

Some embodiments further include a central feature that emulates anappearance of a wheel guard that would cover a single wheel of a 2-wheelmotorcycle. And in some of these embodiments the central feature is awheel cover retained from a two-wheel motorcycle after its conversion toa three-wheeled motor vehicle.

And in various embodiment the side-by-side parallel wheels are rearwheels of the motor vehicle.

The features and advantages described herein are not all-inclusive and,in particular, many additional features and advantages will be apparentto one of ordinary skill in the art in view of the drawings,specification, and claims. Moreover, it should be noted that thelanguage used in the specification has been principally selected forreadability and instructional purposes, and not to limit the scope ofthe inventive subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment shown without tires orwheels;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the functional components of an embodimentof the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged illustration of the valve system and controller ofthe embodiment of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4A is a cross-sectional illustration of the valve system andreservoir of the embodiment of FIG. 2, with the valve system shown inthe operating state;

FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional illustration of the embodiment of FIG. 4A,with the valve system shown in the stationary state;

FIG. 5 is a view from below of an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view from above of the embodiment of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view from behind of the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, shownwhen the trike is tilted during a turn;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention shown without wheels; and

FIG. 9 is a perspective view from behind of an embodiment that includesa cover which gives an outward appearance of a motorcycle saddlebag,thereby causing the trike to emulate the appearance of a conventional2-wheel motorcycle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A suspension system for a three-wheeled motorcycle or “trike” allows thetrike to bank naturally when turning, while holding the frame uprightwhen the trike is stationary. The design is simple and compact, and yetit responds appropriately on hills and when crossing roadwaydepressions. Embodiments can be retrofited to existing 2-wheelmotorcycles, and some embodiments provide an appearance that mimics a2-wheel motorcycle, thereby minimizing any perceived stigma of riding atrike.

With reference to FIG. 1, the two parallel wheel hubs 100 of the trike(shown in the figure without tires) are supported by independent,vertically pivoting lever arms 102, whose vertical movements aregoverned by corresponding control rods 104. The lengths of the controlrods 104 are determined by hydraulic control pistons 106, which therebycontrol the vertical movements of the wheels 100.

With reference to FIG. 2, each hydraulic control piston 106 includeshydraulic fluid located above the piston. The fluid containing regionsabove the control pistons are interconnected 202 through a valve system108 that can be switched between an operating state that allowshydraulic fluid to flow between the two control pistons 106 and astationary state where hydraulic fluid flow is blocked.

In some embodiments, hydraulic fluid is also located below the pistons,and the fluid-containing regions below each control piston are directlyinterconnected 200, so that if both wheels are lifted off of the ground,for example during servicing, they cannot drop down to the fullextensions of the control rods.

With reference to FIG. 3, in some embodiments a simple controller 110and a speed sensor (not shown) are used to switch the valve system 108between its two states according to whether the trike is moving at aspeed above or below a threshold speed that can be factory set and/orset by a rider. In embodiments, the threshold speed is between 1 mph and15 mph. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the threshold is adjusted by asimple mechanical adjustment 300. In some embodiments the controller 108is microprocessor controlled, while in other embodiments the controller108 is a simple sensor-driven electrical relay. In still otherembodiments, the controller 108 is actuated by a mechanical switch.

FIGS. 4A and 4B present cross-sectional illustrations of a valve system108 in an embodiment of the invention. The valve system 108 includes acentral sliding element 400 driven between two lateral positions by apair of solenoids 402, 404 that are driven by the controller 110. FIG.4A illustrates the central sliding element 400 in the operating state,wherein fluid inlets 406, 408 from the two control pistons 106 areconnected to internal chambers 410, 412 formed between O-ring seals ofthe central sliding element 400 and the surrounding tubular wall 418.From the internal chambers 410, 412, the hydraulic fluid is able to flowthrough holes 414, 416 in the central sliding element 400 and into acentral tube, thereby providing fluid communication between the twofluid inlets 406, 408.

FIG. 4A also includes a cross-sectional illustration of ashock-absorbing reservoir 112 that is also in fluid communication withthe valve system 108. The reservoir 112 is connected to a reservoirchamber 420 within the valve system 108, and from there to the interiortube that also communicates with the two fluid inlets 406, 408 and withthe control pistons 106. When the valve system 108 is in the operatingstate, if one of the wheels hits a rock or other irregularity in theroad surface, it can unilaterally make a vertical excursion by drivingadditional hydraulic fluid into the shock absorbing reservoir 112. Thiswill drive a reservoir piston 424 downward against a reservoir spring426 and temporarily increase the pressure of the hydraulic fluid in thevalve system 108. Once the irregularity has passed, the spring 426 willpush the reservoir piston 424 back up, and the wheels 100 will return totheir normal relationship relative to each other.

FIG. 4B presents a cross-sectional illustration of the valve system 108of FIG. 4A with the central sliding element 400 in the stationary state.The inlets 406, 408 are no longer connected to the internal chambers410, 412, and so there is no fluid communication between them, norbetween the inlets 406, 408 and the reservoir 112.

It will be clear to one skilled in the art that when the valve system106 is in the operating state, the wheels 100 are partly or totally freeto move in symmetrically opposite vertical directions according to theforces encountered during a turn, thereby providing a natural bankingexperience that is nearly identical to riding a 2-wheel motorcycle. Whenthe valve system is in the stationary state, the positions of the wheelsare fixed at whatever positions they held when the speed of the trikefell below the threshold speed. Therefore, the trike is maintained in avertical orientation even if it is stopped on a hill. Embodimentsfurther include a manual control (not shown) that can be used tomanually switch the valve system 108 between its operational andstationary states, for example to adjust the tilt of the trike when itis stationary.

FIG. 5 is a view from below of an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 6 isa view from above of the embodiment of FIG. 5, and FIG. 7 is a rear viewof the embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6 shown when the trike is tilted duringa turn. In these figures the wheels and tires 500 are mounted on thewheel hubs 100.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the presentinvention, in which the control rods 104 and pistons 106 are orientedvertically, while the shock-absorbing piston 112 and spring 426 areoriented at an angle. This is in contrast with the embodiment of FIG. 1,where the control rods 104 and pistons 106 are slanted, and theshock-absorbing piston 112 and spring are vertical. This embodiment hasadvantages for retrofitting an existing 2-wheel motorcycle, since theassembly as shown can be constructed in advance, and then attached tothe motorcycle by one or more attachment brackets 800, 802.

With reference to FIG. 9, in some embodiments where the parallel wheels100 are the rear wheels, a cover 900 is included that covers the twoparallel rear wheels 100 and provides an outward appearance of a storagecompartment or “saddle bags” of a style that is typically seen on2-wheel motorcycles, thereby visibly obscuring the fact that the vehiclehas three wheels. In some of these embodiments, a central feature 902 isprovided that emulates the appearance of a wheel guard that would covera single rear wheel of a 2-wheel motorcycle. In embodiments, the rearfeature 902 is a rear wheel cover retained from a two-wheel motorcyclethat has been converted to the three-wheel suspension of the presentinvention.

The foregoing description of the embodiments of the invention has beenpresented for the purposes of illustration and description. It is notintended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise formdisclosed. Many modifications and variations are possible in light ofthis disclosure. It is intended that the scope of the invention belimited not by this detailed description, but rather by the claimsappended hereto.

What is claimed is:
 1. A wheel cover system for a three-wheeled motorvehicle, the wheel cover system comprising a cover system configured tocover more than 50% of the outward-facing sides of a pair ofside-by-side parallel rear wheels of the three-wheeled motor vehicle,and to create a visual impression when viewed from the rear that thecover is covering a single wheel flanked by two saddlebag storage unitsinstead of covering two parallel wheels.
 2. The wheel cover system ofclaim 1, further comprising a central feature that emulates anappearance of a wheel guard that would cover a single wheel of a 2-wheelmotorcycle.
 3. The wheel cover system of claim 2, wherein the centralfeature is a wheel cover retained from a two-wheel motorcycle after itsconversion to a three-wheeled motor vehicle.
 4. A three-wheeled motorvehicle, comprising: a pair of side-by-side parallel wheels; and a wheelcover system configured to cover more than 50% of the outward-facingsides of the pair of side-by-side parallel wheels, and to create avisual impression when viewed from the rear that the cover is covering asingle wheel instead of covering two parallel wheels.
 5. Thethree-wheeled motor vehicle of claim 4, wherein the wheel cover systempresents an appearance of a saddlebag storage system.
 6. Thethree-wheeled motor vehicle of claim 4, further comprising a centralfeature that emulates an appearance of a wheel guard that would cover asingle wheel of a 2-wheel motorcycle.
 7. The three-wheeled motor vehicleof claim 6, wherein the central feature is a wheel cover retained from atwo-wheel motorcycle after its conversion to a three-wheeled motorvehicle.
 8. The three-wheeled motor vehicle of claim 4, wherein theside-by-side parallel wheels are rear wheels of the motor vehicle.